4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[*mummy_hen*]

I have a cat who i love to bits, but she is an indoor cats so i know she can cause no harm to anyone or anything else.

 

Well, just went out to check on the girls and there is a cat trying to paw them through the run, obviously can't get to them but they were all flapping around obviously frightened. As soon as i opened the door it shot off back over our fence but when i went to check it was sat on next doors shed roof just staring at me. Now one of them Edwina is going mental, won't stop crowing at the top of her voice and they are all just stood there looking a bit stunned.

 

Is there anything i can do to prevent them from coming in our garden, i obviously would want to cause no harm to them and had no problem with cats in the garden before although never encouraged them, but now would rather the garden be a cat free zone if that is the way some are going to act towards my feathered babies.

[Tigerlily]

How about using a water pistol or supersoaker?

 

I love cats and I have a cat myself but I wouldn't be happy if another cat was having a go at my babies! Funnily enough our cat Gnasher looked disgusted at our girls when he first saw them He likes the noise they make, but has now got used to them and just ignores them now (and they him!)

 

BWx

[*mummy_hen*]

I love cats too - my cat goes outside when we are outside with her and she pays no attention to them....isn't even bothered!

 

I definately will have to try something as now they are all stood in a big huddle (quite cute to look at) and seem totally bemused by what just happened! Silly things just stood in the corner by the cat though, why do they not just run into the house I can see why they are such easy targets for predators though!!

 

Will ask OH if we have a supersoaker in the attic when he gets home from work now

Edited May 27, 2008 by Guest

[HENthusiastic]

Hi Mummy Hen,

I've had my ex-batts 5 weeks now. When I first had them, I was inside and I hear the most fearful squarking from them. I went out and there was a neigbours cat peering in at them. They carried on making a racket for a long time after the cat had gone. About 3 hours later the cat came back and they just looked at it.

They now, regularly freerange, with my other girls, and if a cat comes into the garden, they will chase it away. They have been a lot more aggressive with cats than my original three (not exbatts) ever were!

I'm sure your girls will get used to cats and the cats will get used to them. For ages, the chooks seemed like 'Cat T.V' the cats would spend ages watching them. Now they just go past quickly, hoping not to be noticed, coz they know they will be chased off! ps my girls also chase sparrows and starlings! Very cute!

[*mummy_hen*]

Aww, how sweet! Ours are just taking everything in at the moment and just sit and watch. Paid no attention to our cat or our dog and certainly weren't frightened by them.

Hopefully as you say, they will get used to them, and neighbouring cats will loose interest in them and stay away!

 

Grrr, it's just one thing after another to worry about with these little beauties!!!

[Egluntyne]

You might want to change the title of the thread

 

A super soaker is handy.

 

I read once that cats don't like snakes and to put 2 ft lengths of cut hosepipe in the borders to deter them.

 

I did....and it made no difference.

 

The cat that was causing us problems buy laying its eggs everywhere has since died.

 

We get visited occasionally by a cat wearing a burberry jacket, but the hens have seen him off numerous times.

 

Wimp.

[*mummy_hen*]

Ooops! Sorry - don't really think of that as a bad word

 

Haven't seen it come back as yet and they are all now back to their pecking around selves!!

[cathybc]

my girls went mad, scared and clucking, when any cats were around for about a week; now they ignore them or, even funnier, spread their wings and run after them. Two of my cats have been arguing over who is the 'alpha male' for years. The answer is now obvious - it is the chooks !

[Mrs Slats]

we were wondering how our cats would react... they are one generation from being stray's and we've given them each 3 bells to try and give the local widllife a fightng chance.

 

So Sunday afternoon the girls were out free ranging when Four Paws decides to try her luck...she did this sort of half hearted / half nervous dash at Paxo, our scrawniest ex bat.

 

Paxo stood up, as tall as she could and stared the cat dead in the eye with a look of sheer determination as if to say "don't even try it".

 

The cat turned tail and ran... and spent the rest of the afternoon hiding behind a flowerpot.

 

I think most chickens will hold their own given the chance...

[*mummy_hen*]

That's good to hear! I think i'd be scared if i had my 5 coming at me

[The Dogmother]

Both my cats are scared witless of the chickens - they've both been seen off in no uncertain terms

[Woodchick]

I have three cats - including a ex-stray that fights, bites and kills if need be - that are, after only 11 day, supremely indifferent and the chickens likewise. One of my cats, not the stray, sat rather close to the fence when they were free-ranging and made a very hasty retreat as beak and nose came a little too close together for comfort.